The Alcoholism Disease Argument - Is Alcoholism Really a Disease?

There are a lot of contrasting opinions out there for the alcoholism disease concept.
Some say alcoholism shows all the same characteristics as a disease and therefore alcoholics
cannot be blamed for their addiction because it’s something they have no control over,
much like you have no control over contracting cancer.

Others feel that this is an easy way out, that it allows addicts to absolve their
responsibility from their addictive behaviours, that addiction is more a state of mind than
anything else and that it’s a matter of will in choosing to overcome an addiction.

Alcoholism as a Disease ... Can it be Classified as One?

There are four words that the medical profession use to characterise a disease or
illness ...

Primary

Progressive

Chronic

Fatal

Now alcoholism for those that support this view, see it as likewise in that
alcoholism can also be regarded as primary, progressive, chronic and fatal.

Is it primary? Well, alcoholism is a describable and identifiable
condition that causes other physical problems like liver damage and malnutrition
so it can be regarded as an illness in it’s own right, therefore making it primary.

As for it being progressive ... alcoholism definitely tends to get
worse over time so there can be no arguments about that one.
It is also something that stays in the body, whether or not a triggering substance
has activated it, whether it be alcohol or another drug.

An alcoholic who has been clean for a couple of years and relapses again will experience drinking like he hasn’t had that
break for two years. In other words, your body responds as if you've continued using all that time even
though there was a break for two years.

In the case of drug addicts who have stopped and
come back to using after a period of time often end up overdosing because it feels like
they haven’t been away, but their body actually can’t handle the doses they’re putting in
anymore.

Alcoholism is also unquestionably chronic because it is a condition that gets worse over time
and is long-lasting or recurrent. Many expers say it can be arrested - but never cured.

And as for it being fatal, most definitely. We all know that alcoholism kills - and that
many people die from this terrible illness every day.

So there we have it, is alcoholism a disease? It certainly seems to meet
the criteria for a disease or illness and is increasingly being recognised as such. Even if some argue the only reason that's the case
is because those who call it a disease have a vested interested in doing so - they're the one's who also get to treat it and they make substantial
profits in doing so.

Go and read this
Drug Addiction Disease piece
as well, where I'll discuss the argument for those of you that think alcoholism or
drug addiction is just a state of mind or sign of weakness ... and give you my thoughts on all this as well.

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